Between Harrison Bergeron and a&P

Tim Kenda English 102 Short Story Essay 2/28/10 Heroism Through Choice When people think of heroes, they often think of muscle bound men in spandex with unrealistic powers of flight, strength, or x-ray vision. But in real life, heroes are often determined based on the smallest of situations and their outcomes. In both of the stories I have chosen (A&P and Harrison Bergeron), the main characters are classified as heroes because of their willingness to defy the authoritive forces around them, whether it be the store manager Lengel in A&P or the Handicapper General in Harrison Bergeron, as well as their willingness to strike out on their own instead of adhering to social norms. In Harrison Bergeron, the main character Harrison stands up to a society that attempts to dull his individual qualities by ripping off his physical handicaps and temporarily liberating all of the oppressed people watching the television for a moment. In A&P, the main character stands up to his dreary, Sunday school teaching boss when he feels as though his boss has embarrassed three female customers in a grocery store. Both Harrison and the cashier pay the price for their defiance (Harrison gets killed and the cashier loses his job), and it is because of the character’s selflessness that the actions appear heroic. Both characters fit the definition of a hero, the cashier for his willingness to lose his job over what he deems an inappropriate action by his manager, and Harrison for ripping off (literally) the shackles that his society has placed on him in a fight to show his individualism. The fact that they performed these actions with no thought towards their own outcome helps outline their true heroic qualities. In the story A&P, the cashier exhibits a heroic quality when he quits his job due to a perceived insult made by his manager to three young ladies. While it first appears to be a dangerous and rash decision (quitting your job over an apparent slight made by your manager to a girl you do not know), the underlying factors actually make this a very heroic choice. When the cashier quits the A&P, he is not quitting as a direct result of that one insult but rather he is quitting because he does not want to work in what he views as a strict and religious workplace. After he quits, he looks back and sees â€Å"Lengel in [his] place in the slot, checking the sheep through. † and then goes on to describe Lengel by saying â€Å"His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron. †(Updike 529). When he sees Lengel in this state, he realizes that moments before that had been him. At the end of the story, the cashier becomes a symbol of the thoughts of many young people during the late fifties and early sixties. He does not want to work in the same dreary place for his whole life. He does not want to be just like his parents and Lengel. And despite that fact that he knows it will be hard, he makes the decision to strike out on his own, and consequently to fight back against what he views as a dreary and depressing reality. That is a hard decision to make, and a heroic one as well. As a result of his actions, the cashier in A&P not only commits a heroic gesture, he also becomes a symbol of the change that was taking place in the late fifties and early sixties. Many young people at that point in time were breaking away from what their parents were doing and were bravely striking off onto their own paths, just like the hero in our story. The overall theme of the story mirrors the same path, showing the drear and the tension and the uncertainty that crept into the American conscious following the start of the cold war and the adolescent urge to do something better than what ones parents did. The cashier represents many of America’s younger generation in that aspect. In the story Harrison Bergeron, the main character is a â€Å"genius and an athlete† and is sent to jail for â€Å"suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. †(Vonnegut 536). He then breaks out of jail and declares on national television that he is the emperor. Now in our society, these actions would be considered those of a madman or a lunatic. But in his society, Harrison’s actions are very heroic. When Harrison rips off his handicaps and declares to the world he is emperor, he represents the idea that individualism and competition are superior to similarity and monotony. His actions also represent the destruction of the limitations that society has attempted to place on him just because he was different. Also, the fact that he did this and was then killed makes it even more heroic. This shows us that Harrison’s real intent was not to simply take over the world, but rather his intent was to show everyone that they could be different and they could fight the limitations imposed on them. The theme of this story is one of oppression and normalcy, and idea that Harrison attempts to destroy. Harrison becomes a symbol of freedom and liberation, showing us as readers that it is possible to break free of social normalcy despite the possibly grave consequences. In both Harrison Bergeron and A&P the main characters in the story are considered heroic for their willingness to stand up against authority and their ability to commit what they perceive as â€Å"good† actions regardless of the consequences they face. In both stories society is a dull, oppressive place, and the characters fight against the oppression in their own unique ways. And ultimately each character suffers a consequence as a result of their actions. But despite these consequences, which in the story were apparent before the characters committed their actions, both characters made their choices based on what they believed was right. This is why the cashier and Harrison are both heroic figures in their stories. Works Cited 1. Updike, John. _A&P. Literature and its Writers. Ed. _Ann Charters, Samuel Charters. Bedford/St. Martins, Boston. 2009. 2. Vonnegut, Kurt. _Harrison Bergeron. Literature and its Writers. _Ed. Ann Charters, Samuel Charters. Bedford/St Martins, Boston. 2009.

The Canterville Ghost:

The Canterville Ghost is not Just a short story by Oscar Wilde about a haunted mansion with a ghost; it is also a comedy and a parody of British aristocracy. In this story, the author makes fun of American pride and love of wealth by having the American Ambassador who buys the mansion say: â€Å"l will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy†. Oscar Wilde's â€Å"The Canterville Ghost† is a story of a family's relationship with a haunted house and the ghost who resides there.The novel begins with a warning to the Otis Family, who wants to move into the Canterville Chase house. Mr. Otis ignores the warning and moves his family into the house anyway. They are met with their first problem: a blood stain on the carpet. Mrs. Otis is bothered by the stain and asks that it be removed. However, the stain dates back to the late sixteenth-century. The cause of the stain is attributed to the fo rmer owner, Sir Simon de Canterville, who killed his wife. Now he resides in the house as a ghost unable to move to the next world.Sir Simon tries to terrify the Otis Family, but they only end up tormenting the ghost. He uses many disguises only to be humiliated by the family. By the end of â€Å"The Canterville Ghost,† Wilde brings together the ghost and Virginia, Mr. Otises' daughter. She sympathizes with him and accompanies him to the angel of death. At the same time, she learns life lessons that lead to her own personal enlightenment. Sir Simon, she tells her husband several years later, helped her understand â€Å"what Life is, what Death signifies, and why Love is stronger than both. â€Å"

Association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives

Association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives In the past few decades, major evolutions in globalization, technology and social collaboration have transformed the nature of work in all sectors. As work becomes increasingly complex and interdependent, employees are expected to take on many new roles and responsibilities. According to Kahn et al. (1964) it is quite common for employees in complex organizations to experience stress regarding their role, which can lead to negative individual and organizational outcomes. Recently, the field of occupational health has recognized that psychosocial factors inherent in the work environment can have considerable influence on the physical and mental well-being of employees, and studies have begun to model contextual moderators in the process of organizational stress. In this article we introduce organizational stewardship as a contextual factor that may build employee resilience to role demands and protect against adverse symptoms of mental health. Stewardship is defined here as an organizational approach in which communication, collaboration and adaptability between organizational actors and stakeholders is used to generate trust, a shared understanding and a sense of purpose. Using multi-level analysis, this study investigates whether departmental stewardship moderates the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among public service executives. Role Stress and Mental Health The shift to a more knowledge-based society has resulted in many changes to the design, organization and management of factors within the work environment. As workplaces become more complex and multifaceted, employees are expected to take on multiple roles and responsibilities, and thus, it has become more important than ever to examine the impact of role stressors on employee well-being. Role conflict refers to the occurrence of divergent expectations or when role requirements are incompatible with an employee’s value system, making it difficult to perform their work. Role ambiguity refers to a lack of information or unclear information regarding employee’s roles, such that they are unsure as to what is expected of them. According to Cavanaugh, Boswell, Roehling and Boudreau (2000) role demands are considered hindrance stressors, meaning they are viewed as obstacles to personal growth or demands that can hinder an employee’s ability to achieve work goals. As a result, the presence of these stressors can prompt negative emotions (e.g., anxiety or fear) and a passive or emotional coping method (e.g., withdrawing from the work). Because role demands are perceived as uncontrollable and threatening to one’s work they are unlikely to be met with increased effort, instead employees may emotionally and cognitively withdraw from their work. While the process of organizational stress has been implicated in a wide range of physical health ailments, mental health disorders are considered to be the most common outcomes. Stress-related mental health disorders like anxiety and depression place a heavy financial burden on organizations. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), about 30% of short- and long-term disability claims in Canada are attributed to mental health problems. Moreover, mental health problems and illnesses among Canadian employees cost organizations more than $6 billion in lost productivity (MHCC, n.d). A recent meta-analysis by Schmidt et al., (2014) documented the link between role stressors and depression across a variety of work settings. These authors acknowledged that it is important to examine mental health as a continuous construct since even minor symptoms can lead to impaired health and organizational outcomes. In light of this, psychological distress is an important concept to measure in the context of employee well-being, since it can capture a lower threshold of mental health problems and may be a crucial to reducing illness or disability caused by work stress. Distress refers to â€Å"a set of psychophysiological and behavioral symptoms that are not specific to a given pathology† (e.g., anxious or depressive responses, irritability, trouble sleeping, absenteeism) that can cause impairment in day-to-day functions and one’s ability to carry out normal tasks. From Leadership to Stewardship Worldwide societal and economic changes have challenged organizational scholars to question deeply rooted assumptions about leadership strategies and to re-examine organizational approaches that can more adequately respond to the demands faced by present-day organizations. As a result, scholars have begun to recognize that interdependent and global work can counteract the potential power of leadership, making it challenging for those in positions of authority to have an impact on the work environment regardless of their leadership style or the fit between the leader and situation. Recently, scholars have proposed the notion of stewardship as an organizational approach to guide the collective process in organizations. While leadership has been traditionally examined with a focus on interpersonal exchanges, stewardship can be viewed as a meta-phenomenon, reflected in organizational structures and collaborative processes. In this study, organizational stewardship is positioned as a pote ntial moderator in the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress. Stewardship Historically, stewardship came from the notion of managing or taking care of something that was entrusted to you. This concept is finding renewed resonance in current organizational literature and has been described as an alternative approach to governance models of mandate and force (Block, 1993). Stewardship has also been defined as an organizational approach that emphasizes a sense of purpose through the sharing of power, resources and information across networks to serve the public interest. According to Hubbard and Paquet (2016) stewardship is believed to foster a sense of community through building partnerships and networks, and generate the trust and dialogue necessary to work through complex issues. Furthermore, they argue that stewardship practices connect employees to the larger purpose of their work, fostering their sense of meaning. Based on these conceptualizations, an empirical study by Simpkins and Lemyre (2018) has reframed organizational stewardship as a system featu re through the application of a socio-ecological framework. An Ecological Model of Stewardship Taking a systemic approach inspired by Brofenbrenner’s (1979, 1999) systems theory framework, the Socio-Ecological Model, the social environment is subdivided into various systems and takes into account the cumulative effect of multiple factors of the physical and social environment, as well as situational and personal factors, on employee well-being (Stokols, 1996). Beyond the individual, the microsystem includes close interpersonal relations. Then, the mesosystem is composed of various organizations or services. The most overarching concept in this framework is the macrosystem, which includes the overall patterns of the social context such as economy, laws and political events. While the idea that stewardship can contribute to positive organizational outcomes has been implied, empirical evidence supporting this relationship remains quite limited. A qualitative case study of the Edmonton Public School system by Segal (2012) asked employees to describe organizational processes inherent in the control and reward systems. This study concluded that an organizational culture associated with stewardship theory helped to instil integrity among employees, contributing to organizational efficiency. According to Simpkins Lemyre (2018), the examination of stewardship within a workplace stress framework broadens our understanding of the work environment and has important implications for individuals, organizations and society. This role can be operationalized as an organization level resource contributing to employee well-being examined through the Job-Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The Job Demands-Resources Model As outlined in the JD-R model, employee health and well-being can result from a balance between psychosocial work factors categorized as either demands or resources. Physical, social or organizational job characteristics that require sustained effort are labeled as job demands. Job characteristics that contribute to meeting organizational objectives, reduce job demands and their accompanying physiological and psychological costs, or that stimulate employee growth and learning are labeled as job resources. Demands and resources are linked to health and well-being outcomes through two underlying psychological processes. An excess in job demands coupled with a lack of resources can deplete an employee’s energy resources in the health impairment process, while job resources can contribute to positive organizational outcomes through the motivational process. Likewise, the JD-R model assumes that job resources can buffer the impact of various demands on stress outcomes. While individual-level resources have been valuable components in the study of stress, Demerouti Bakker (2011) have suggested an expansion of the JD-R model to include multi-level constructs in order to capture the different structural, functional or hierarchical levels of organizational research. Taking a Multi-Level Approach When direct indicators of environmental context are not available, contextual variables can be measured using group averages of individuals’ perceptions, at a cluster level. This is believed to reliably account for non-independence among employees exposed to similar environmental factors, which can influence how they perceive or respond to stress in the workplace. As a result, researchers can more accurately examine how organizational level processes affect individual-level processes and outcomes. Moreover, modeling group-level moderators of stress is particularly important, given its implications for prevention. From a practical perspective, a multi-level approach to stress may result in more effective interventions, as organizations may wish to employ different strategies at each level. Moreover, stress interventions based on group-level moderators can be much easier to implement over individual-based interventions. Thus, identifying contextual factors that can mitigate the stress process, and understanding how they influence this relationship, can contribute to more systemic approach to organizational stress research. Stewardship as a Moderator of Work Stressors As reviewed above, job resources can buffer the negative effects of work demands on perceived job strain through different mechanisms. While stewardship is not anticipated to reduce work demands themselves, the work conditions provided through a context of stewardship may alter employee perceptions and cognitions evoked by work stressors, and moderate the responses that follow. This can potentially reduce the health-damaging consequences of stress. A mission-focused stewardship approach is believed to help employees put their work in a larger context, providing them with a sense of purpose. The alignment between employee demands and the organizational mission may contribute to a sense of coherence among employees, where they perceive their demands as understandable, manageable and meaningful, a strong determinant of successful coping. Moreover, the sharing of information, power and resources can help to develop a common frame of reference, facilitating communication and reducing misunderstandings with regard to work tasks. In this way, stewardship organizations, through the collaboration and the instrumental support of other organizations, may be more resilient to increasingly complex work demands. Thus, a context of stewardship may temper the negative influence of work stressors by repositioning work demands as challenges that can be accomplished collectively, and task completion may seem more achievable in this setting. Stewardship in the Canadian Public Service Canada’s public service is the non-partisan, executive branch of the Canadian government composed of various units, which include departments, agencies, commissions, Crown corporations and other federal organizations. In a typical governmental department there are several levels of leadership at the Executive level (EX position classification). Stewardship as an organizational approach may be especially important in the context of public service work, where many different levels of hierarchy must operate collaboratively and rely on the combined efforts of various departments, agencies, commissions, crown corporations and other federal organizations to deliver quality service to citizens. In summary, there is strong theoretical and empirical basis to consider and formally test organizational stewardship as a potential moderator in the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among executives. To our knowledge, stewardship has never been tested as a contextual variable using multi-level analysis. This raises the research question: Does a context of stewardship moderate the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among public service executives? Study Model This study proposes that a context of stewardship reflects the degree to which a department engages in effective collaboration across networks, generating trust, a sense of purpose, and a shared sense of responsibility. We posit that a context of stewardship can help executives manage their perceived role stressors such that when a high degree of stewardship is perceived within one’s department, executives are more likely to experience their work as meaningful, interesting and something to which they wish to devote effort, regardless of stressful demands. In this way, departmental stewardship may help to alleviate the effects of stressors before they become damaging (i.e., psychological distress). Thus, we propose that department-level stewardship moderates the relationship between role stressors (i.e., role conflict and role ambiguity) and distress symptoms. Goal and Objectives The aim in the present study is to investigate the association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives. The research goal is to test that there is variance in these relationships that relates to the organizational level above and beyond the idiosyncratic individual perspective. To test the moderation effect, there are two pre-conditions: Condition 1: Executives who report higher role stressors will also report higher distress; and Condition 2 (ecological multi-level effect): Departments with high levels of aggregated stewardship will have a negative relationship with reported distress. Main Hypothesis (Cross-Level Interaction) Moderation effect of the multi-level construct: The relationship between role stressors and distress is moderated by departmental stewardship such that the relationship between role stressors and distress is stronger for departments with low aggregated stewardship, and this relationship is buffered in departments with high aggregated stewardship. Participants and Procedure Data used for this study comes from the pan-Canadian national survey on Work and Health conducted in 2012 in partnership with the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX). This survey represents the fourth cycle of a multi-phase research project examining the health status of executives, from Director (EX-1) to Deputy Minister (EX-5), in the federal Public Service of Canada. A total of 6688 self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed via e-mail to senior-management executives in the Canadian federal public service. Over two thousand respondents returned the questionnaires (N=2314), representing a response rate of 35%. After removing missing data and performing data screening for multi-level analysis the final data set included responses from 1996 executives nested within 59 departments/agencies. Departments, on average, had 34 respondents (range, 2 to 177). The sample comprised 51% male and 49% female executives and maintained fully proportional representation of the actual distribution of executives by gender, executive level, region and age. The average age of participants was 50.2 years. The majority of participants had either a post-grad education (52%) or university education (39%). Participants had been working at the executive level for 7.3 years, on average. While just over half (56%) of executives in this sample worked at the EX-1 level, 24% worked at the EX-2 level, and 20% at the EX-3, EX-4 or EX-5 level.

PharmaSim Report OCM Group Allstar Brands Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PharmaSim OCM Group Allstar Brands - Lab Report Example Marketing plan or strategy must describe the key or augmented product characteristics and the kind of benefits they provide to the customer, the pivotal price that bounds company profitability yet providing value for money for the customer, tempting promotions that wil attract people to buy the product and a sound distribution and placement strategy to create access for the customers. Our target market segments was basically the retired segment where Allround had the most penetration and the largest (30%) market share. The prime reason for the selection of this market was the fact that they are most prone to body aches due to ageing. Since Allround product had the most amount of Analgesic, it was more suitable for aches and fever than cold symptoms. The brand is the clear market leader in this market segment. Most consumers use this product for nighttime relief because of the strength of the medication and because the alcohol and antihistamine help the patient rest. How you adjusted your pricing, channel, and promotions in response to the changes in: a) Macroenvironment of the Industry: Macro-economic environment changes such as change in government regulations; taxes, demographic changes and political environment highly affect the performance of the brand. For example, decline in industry growth and rise in infaltion negatively affected all the companies (including Allround brands) in the market. The cost of goods sold became higher than the previous period and hence our bottom line took a hit. After a consistent decline in the industry profits and growth, because of the competitive nature of the industry or changes in government policies for OTC, the macroeconomic environment changed in Period 8 when it increased by almost 12% period-over-period growth. Due to anticipatory high growth, the prices of the product were marginally increased ($1) in the respective period in order to leverage the benefits of market boom. b) Consumer Behaviors: Generally speaking, m arketing revolves around people. In the words of Peter Drucker, â€Å"Marketing is the entirety of the business from the perspective of the customer.† Hence, it is imperative to understand consumer behavior in order to gain customer insights and apply it to one’s brand strategy. In PharmaSim, consumer behavior was studies through market research reports and analysing shopping trends of the customers. The following insights were gained about our target market segments: Majority of the customer bought their over-the-counter medicines from grocery stores Majority of the physicians and pharmacists recommended brands Coughcure and End c) Competitors’ moves: Similar to the real world, one cannot play in insolation in PharmaSim, hence competitors’ reactive and aggressive moves affect your Dripstopperformances and strategies. For example, Besthelp, Coughcure and End

Top 5 internet privacy myths about social media debunked Term Paper

Top 5 internet privacy myths about social media debunked - Term Paper Example To start with, several online social networks prompt the users to provide truthful information about their identity. For example, Facebook, which currently the most popularly used social network website in the world, allows users to provide detailed information concerning who they are on the profile page. Despite this requirement, Facebook has attracted a large number of users meaning that many people do not mind sharing such personal information. However, there have been several cases where social network users provide false information concerning their identity, something that has not been positively received by other social network users. Of more significance, truthful identification of social network users is beneficial to the webhost companies. Despite the fact that different social network websites provide varying privacy levels to their users, many of these social companies encourage their clients to provide truthful information concerning themselves to the level they can be comfortable with. For example, when using facebook, one can opt not to fill the entire information requested for in the profile page. By encouraging members of social networks to provide truthful information, webhost companies have been able to effectively manage the modes of conduct of members in their social network websites. This is because people tend to portray a positive image to the public when they can be easily identified by others. Additionally, proper and truthful identification in social networking websites has been backed by various legislations that seek to protect the public from harmful activities carried out in social networks. In most cases, people with malicious intentions like to disguise their identity to the public in order to reduce their chances of being identified easily. For example, people with false identification in online social networking sites do not find it hard to

The International Coffee Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The International Coffee Industry - Essay Example In specific reference to the coffee industry, the profit motive of corporations only worsens the conditions of poor coffee farmers who are not compensated in proportion to their hard labor. According to Thomas Friedman, globalization is the â€Å"inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies†¦..the spread of free-market capitalism to virtually every country in the world.† (Friedman, 2000: 7-8). In reference to the international trade facilitated by globalization and the diffusion of geographical boundaries, Mittelman refers to globalization as a historical transformation - â€Å"a political response to the expansion of market power† resulting in a transformation â€Å"in the economy, of livelihoods and modes of existence† (Mittelman, 2000: 6). McMichael also corroborates this market-oriented view, seeing the process of global integration taking place on the basis of â€Å"market rule on a global scale†(McMichael, 2000:149). The be lief in the beneficial effects of free trade that exists today is largely a function of the theory of comparative advantage that underlies the Ricardian model of international trade (Henderson, 1993:827). Comparative advantage is the ability possessed by a particular country to produce a particular good at a lower cost relative to other goods and as compared to other countries that produce the same good. Therefore, comparative advantage possessed in one area of production indicates that the country has some favorable factors working on its behalf or has perfected specialized techniques in the production of that good, so that it is able to produce it more efficiently (Mankiw, 2007: 52). According to Porter (1996:64), â€Å"Competitive strategy is about being different.†Ã‚  

IFRS effects on banking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IFRS effects on banking - Term Paper Example re of the financial data and the banking company will have to decide carefully regarding the presentation and disclosure so as to keep consistent with other companies. The consolidation requirements of the IFRS require that the statement mentions all the subsidiaries of the company. Special Purpose Entities (SPE) are formed by banks in order to secure loans, influence the leasing transactions and plan the investments and banks are at times form a part in the SPEs which are not included in the consolidated statements, the IFRS may require consolidation to those SPEs as well. (International, 2011) The accounting based on the financial instruments, which an integral part of the banking industry, is also affected as the classification and measurement of the financial instruments is complex with respect to both the standards. (Young, 2011) The measurement of impairment of the financial instruments also involves complexity when a company transits from GAAP to IFRS. The methods of impairment as well as the recognition will also be affected with the use of IFRS in the company. The accounting criteria of IFRS for leases is different from that of GAAP and the IFRS requires more lease transactions to be recognized in the accounts of an entity as compared to those required by GAAP. The banks will be greatly affected who do not recognise the operating leases on their balance sheets when the substance of the lease transaction is that the bank has all the rewards and risk transferred to it. The adoption of IFRS by a banking sector company will require an additional amount of effort in order to comply with the requirements of the IFRS. Some premeditated decisions will be needed to be taken to avoid any additional or incremental costs for the transformation. (IAS

Neurotransmission Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Neurotransmission - Term Paper Example x support the neurons, digest the dead neurons, and manufacture the protective myelin sheath covering the neurons besides providing nutrition (â€Å"Brain Cells’’ 2001). Thus neurons along with their connections can be visualized as electric conductors insulated in a thick mass of glial cells. A typical neuron, like other cells has a main body in which resides the nucleus and is called soma (Fig. I). From this emanate the inward signal processing projections called the dendrites and the outward signal processing axons, or the conducting fibres (Case Presentation, January 27th, 2014). The point where the two neurons connect with each other is known as the synapse, the latter being the juncture where transmission of axonal information takes place (Case Presentation, January 27th, 2014). A synapse is comparable with a connecting switch which transmits current from one circuit to another. Dendrites receive the incoming signals from the preceding neuron, the signals being generated in the form of micro electric action potentials in the soma, wherein the signal processing and stabilization takes place. The axons transmit the information from the prior to the subsequent neurons. The fatty myelin sheath serves to insulate the axon thereby facilitating transmission of signals. This myelin sheath is akin to the insulation we see on electric wires. As the insulation on electric wires stops leakage of electric current thereby protecting us, similarly the myelin sheath on the neuron protects leakage of action potential to adjacent neurons so that they can send signals along the actual destined pathways for them. However, at specific intervals it exposes the neuron at junctures called ‘Nodes of Ranvier’ which are meant for increasing the speed of transmission of the onward electric signals. A typical neuron connects with 1000-1000 other neurons through synapses (â€Å"Brain Cells’’ 2001). This can be compared to a big power supply line feeding hundreds of houses for

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Total Quality Management - Essay Example This paper will show some of the main key points as derived from some of the chapters. Total Quality Management (TQM) is an extensive and organized methodology to authoritative administration that looks to enhance the nature of items and administrations through continuous refinements because of consistent reaction. Quality as an absolute means that in everything that we do we must put quality in it o achieve maximum results. When Dr. Edward came up with the concept it was in the aim of improving educational standards. According to Salis (2002), the word quality has lots of conflicting and unclear meanings. This has been occasioned because the word quality can be used as both an absolute and as a relative concept. In conversations quality is used as an absolute and is referred to as part of nature. Absolute quality can not be compromised or traded for something else. Quality is a concept with class and it’s not available to every one but everyone wants it. In technical scene, quality is largely a relative concept. In this sense its definition changes to an attribute of a product or a service. We often say the quality of an easy varies from good to excellent. There is a philosophy that a quality product depicts the ideology of equality, in the sense that you get what you pay for. In education is hard to say who will determine the quality of education. This brings in the role of the consumer in quality. The consumer of the product can answer the question of quality. Education wise, the consumer will gauge the quality of education by the exams that they partake and pass. It is up to the consumer and collage to come up with management policies that will ensure quality in the products they are supplying in the class. Applying the TQM in the collage can improve the quality of education in a great way. SWOT analysis is an integral routine toll for calculated development in education and still is the number one means of

Article review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Review - Article Example Undoubtedly, injustice in small parts of region for women continues to plague society. The lack of participation in political and economic aspects of women in these rural areas continues to be one of the major obstacles of progressivism. Wright insists that feminist scholars distinguish sex form gender through discourse. While Gender is learned and adapted, the theory behind sexual difference is varied from cultures to cultures. The idea of gender â€Å"norms† is the critical point that is the catalyst towards the feminist theory itself. The issue of sexism is also correlated with racism as these issues embodied the form of political and social pains that plague that American society. Wright elaborates that the nature of feminist progressivism stems from women’s literature. Feministic writers are vital components towards the advancement of the movement itself. Furthermore, one cannot refute the power of writing that feminist scholars emphasize on their works of justice. The critical component that appeals to injustice is emotion. Women throughout the world that have faced oppression, inequality, injustice appeal through emotion.

Professional Responsibilities Legislation Essay Example for Free

Professional Responsibilities Legislation Essay â€Å"Teachers must meet their professional responsibilities consistent with the institute’s (IFL’s) professional values.† (IFL) One of the IFL’s many codes of professional practice. Upholding the code of conduct and relevant legislation is the basis for you as a teacher. Among the legislature you need to understand is the importance of the health and safety act (1974) – it says all workers are entitled to work in a safe environment where risks are properly controlled. The HSWA act is also the umbrella under which more specific regulations such as the Manual handling act 1992 (amended 2002) are made. Another fundamental element of workplace health and safety management – and also a legal requirement is RIDDOR; the reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 1995. Also of great importance the childcare act 2006, it stipulates every child should get the support they need to be healthy, safe, and enjoy and achieve economic wellbeing. As a teacher you also need to have your own professional values – views, beliefs that will underpin your profession. â€Å"A good teacher is more than a lecturer.† (AMEE 2000) You are no longer a dispenser of information or a walking tape recorder but instead you are a facilitator or manager of the students learning. You are there to ensure all learners have access to the same resources, the same support and you don’t differentiate instead embrace and respect people’s differences and their choices. You are there to guide them, provide information and offer suggestions. But it has to be a 2 way process, by helping them you will also develop your skills because â€Å"teaching is itself a learning process for the teacher† (Joyce, Showers 2002). Everyone is different and you need to be prepared and have contingency plans for all levels of knowledge and skill – you will find bored students make bad students. They don’t just have a variety of levels but also different learning styles, be sure to have a mix of kinaesthetic, visual and audio resources. You can use handouts with the camera instructions on, a video showing how it works, and then let them try themselves. It is your responsibility to ensure all students no matter how diverse are given equal learning opportunities – that means assuming different roles. So for Learner X (names are confidential) you need to be firm, authoritative, Learner Y asks a lot of questions – be prepared to listen and summarise, Learner Z needs more encouragement.

Peace Corps Services Essay Example for Free

Peace Corps Services Essay Fulfillment in life is best attained when one contributed to meeting others’ needs, create time to understand their challenges and take decisive actions towards alleviating their sufferings. One can not also rule out the indispensability of peace if achieving this goal. Indeed, Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional and intellectual challenges aimed at contributing to community development and invariably the stability of a nation. This stands as a major ideal of the Peace Corps Volunteers and I am keenly interested in such. More than interest, I am passionate about it. The ideals of the Peace Corps Volunteers are noble and they make a complete man; by this, I mean they contribute tremendously to the corporate citizenship status of an individual. In this vein, the individual sows seeds of good tidings to less opportune lives. A good corporate citizen engages in programs and activities based on the principle of individual impact on society aside continuous government plans. This is a major reason why I want to serve as a volunteer; the team is a credible platform to affect lives positively. Besides, I believe in that disputes and unrest can be avoided by effective communication and sheer understanding. This evidently requires tact and skills. Being a volunteer, I would have the privilege of engaging actively in activities that promote peace and harmony; this would sharpen my own communication skills and make me a better emotional intelligent individual. I see it as an avenue through which I can explore communication skills and improve on them, for the good of the colony. It also creates a large forum for me to learn others cultures, expands my schema and I can begin to appreciate life from a larger perspective. As a health care provider, serving as a volunteer is an excellent extension of my duties to the rest of opportunity outside the hospital walls. I have served in a number of religious and social volunteer work and these experiences have left an indelible mark on my heart. I can not stop but I must keep the flag on with the Peace Corps Volunteers as its ideals are compatible with my life’s goals.

Effectiveness Of Salt Versus Oral Mouthwash Biology Essay

Effectiveness Of Salt Versus Oral Mouthwash Biology Essay This experiment aims to compare the effectiveness of salt versus oral mouthwash in inhibiting the growth of oral bacteria such as Treponema denticola, Fusospirochetes, Porphyromonas gingivalis and so on. These are chosen as subjects of experiment as they cause Periodontal Disease or Gingivitis among people. Finding a solution to prevent the growth of these disease-causing bacteria will help solving the problem.[10] Salt or Sodium Chloride is an ionic compound bonded together by ionic bond between Sodium ion and Chloride ion. Table salt is a processed salt where it is used as a condiment and food preservation. Salt is currently mass-produced by evaporation of seawater. It is also proved to provide medicinal effects. For example, people often heal wounds using salt solution and it is good against infections as it reduces inflammation of wounds. Moreover, researches nowadays have proven salt can bring about an effect in inhibiting the growth of bacteria. This is why people often use a cup of water with two tablespoons of edible salt as mouthwash. Nevertheless, salt solution can be used to treat sore throats. Salt is considered antibacterial because it creates no wet condition for bacteria to grow in. In other words, salt is very good at dehydrating and absorbing water from anything it comes contact with. Salt solution does not kill the bacteria but it inhibits the growth of them. Therefore, it is considered as bacteriostatic.[9][12] Mouthwash is a product made for enhancing oral hygiene. Some brands of mouthwash claim that they can help to kill bacteria causing gingivitis and bad breath. Anti-cavity mouth rinse uses fluoride compound to protect against tooth decay. A person has to gargle the mouthwash without the need of brushing and flossing teeth. Besides, mouthwash can also help removing mucus and food particles which are situated down in the throat. This product is bactericidal where it kills bacteria which are found in mouth. Active ingredients  in commercial brands of mouthwash can include  thymol,  eucalyptol, menthol,  chlorhexidine gluconate,  benzalkonium chloride,  cetylpyridinium chloride,  methylparaben,  hydrogen peroxide,  domiphen bromide  and sometimes  fluoride,  enzymes, and  calcium. Ingredients also include water, sweeteners such as  sorbitol,  sucralose,  sodium saccharin, and  xylitol. However, there is some evidence which shows that mouthwash contributes to oral cancer. This is shown by a literature review by McCullough and Farah from 2008 published in the  Dental Journal of Australia.[13][14] Oral hygiene is very important to prevent dental problems and bad breath. One of the common ways to practise oral hygiene is tooth brushing. Some people may use oral mouthwash to kill the disease-causing bacteria situated inside the mouth. One of the common disease regarding oral hygiene is Gingivitis. Gingivitis is a term used to describe non-destructive  periodontal disease. Gingivitis is often caused by types of bacteria stated above. Bacteria activity caused by these microorganisms can lead to severe effects including refractory periodontitis and acute necrotizing gingivitis, resulting in bone resorption and tooth loss. Gargling with oral mouthwash is effective but the price is expensive. Furthermore, it is not always available at any outlets all the time. Practising to gargle with salt water is a convenient method to keep the oral cavity clean. Table salt can be easily obtained from any outlets and the price is far cheaper than any oral mouthwash. One thing good about salt is it does not cause side effects as no artificially made chemicals are contained within it. But how does the effectiveness vary compared to commercial oral mouthwash?[15] Experimental Hypothesis : There is a significant difference for the effectiveness of commercial mouthwash in inhibiting oral bacteria compared to salt solution of concentration greater than or equal to 0.4moldm-3. Null Hypothesis : There is no significant difference for the effectiveness of commercial mouthwash in inhibiting oral bacteria compared to salt solution of concentration greater than or equal to 0.4moldm-3. Variables : Manipulated variable : Types of antibacterial solution Responding variable : Number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar Fixed variables : Temperature of incubation period, contents of nutrient agar, type of bacteria cultured, time taken for gargling mouthwash. Apparatus : Bottles of inoculum, work table, sterilised petri dishes, micropipette, 1000ml conical flask, Bunsen burner, incubator, 100ml beaker, electronic balance, 250ml volumetric flask, filter funnel, dropper, stopper, bio-hazard waste bin. Materials : Sterilised cotton buds, sterilised distilled water, distilled water, commercial mouthwash B, disinfectant, tissue papers, Dettol solution, gloves, teats of micropipette, nutrient agar solution, aluminium foil, solid Sodium Chloride. Planning Two trial experiments were conducted in overall. The first trial experiment was carried out to determine which commercial mouthwash is the best in inhibiting the growth of oral bacteria. The commercial mouthwash which has the highest inhibition rate will be compared to salt solution. Three types of commercial mouthwash namely A, B and C were used. Three sterilised petri dishes were obtained. A swab sample was taken before gargling the commercial mouthwash. This was tagged as before to indicate the number of bacteria colony found in nutrient agar before commercial mouthwash was used and acted as a control. Three human subjects were volunteered to gargle each type of commercial mouthwash. This was assuming that the number of oral bacteria in every person is the same. After gargling three types of commercial mouthwash for 10 seconds, three swab samples were obtained from every subject. The bacteria were cultured and platted and the number of bacteria colony found on agar was counted. Al l sterilised petri dishes were then placed in an incubator for a week. The result showed that commercial mouthwash B has the highest bacterial inhibition rate. Types of commercial mouthwash Number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar Control 7 A 4 B 1 C 2 Table 1.1 : The number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar with respective commercial mouthwash used. The second trial experiment was done to determine the time taken to gargle commercial mouthwash B in order to obtain the maximum inhibition rate. In other words, this trial was carried out to choose a suitable period of gargling mouthwash. Five sterilised petri dishes were obtained. Four types of gargling period had been chosen in this trial which were 5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds. Four human subjects were volunteered to gargle for every period of time. Commercial mouthwash B was used as it gave the highest rate of bacterial inhibition from the first trial conducted. A swab sample was obtained before the trial proceeded. This was labelled as before to indicate the number of bacteria colony found in nutrient agar before gargling commercial mouthwash B and acted as a control. Every human subject was ordered to gargle commercial mouthwash B with the respective period of time chosen earlier. After gargling, four swab samples were obtained from each subject. The trial was again assuming that the amount of oral bacteria in every person is the same. The bacteria was cultured and platted and the number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar was counted. All sterlised petri dishes were then placed in a incubator for a week. The result showed that a period of 10 seconds to gargle commercial mouthwash B has the highest bacterial inhibition rate. Time taken to gargle commercial mouthwash B / seconds Number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar 0 8 5 5 10 2 15 2 20 2 Table 1.2 : The number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar with respective period of time to gargle commercial mouthwash B. Real Experimental Procedures Preparing salt solution of various concentrations Mass of an empty 100ml beaker was weighed using an electronic balance. For 0.1M salt water, 1.4625g of solid Sodium Chloride (NaCl) was weighed. The weighed solid was then dissolved in the 100ml beaker using distilled water. The solution was poured into a 250ml volumetric flask using a filter funnel. The beaker and filter funnel were rinsed with distilled water and added into the volumetric flask. Distilled water was carefully added into the volumetric flask until the level of solution reached the graduation mark. Dropper was used instead to prevent any exceed above the graduation mark. A stopper was fitted on the mouth of volumetric flask and the solution was shaken carefully. Steps 1 to 8 were repeated by replacing 1.4625g of NaCl with 2.925g for 0.2M, 3.4875g for 0.3M, 5.850g for 0.4M and 7.3125g for 0.5M. Preparing inoculums of bacteria A sterilised cotton bud was used to obtain the swab sample from mouth. The cotton bud was then dipped into a bottle of inoculum containing a quarter volume of sterilised distilled water and labelled as before. The cotton bud was then disposed off. After gargling 50ml salt water with concentration of 0.1M, another swab sample was obtained and dipped into bottle of inoculums containing sterilised distilled water. This was labelled as 0.1M. Step 3 was repeated by replacing 0.1M salt water with 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M and commercial mouthwash B. Preparing petri dishes with bacteria Work table was sprayed with disinfectant to kill all the bacteria present. Table was wiped with several pieces of tissue papers. Hands were washed with Dettol solution to ensure no bacteria were found. Gloves were worn on both hands. Three sterilised petri dishes were obtained. A bottle of inoculum (before) was taken. A micropipette was used and calibrated to 200 microlitres. Teat of micropipette was placed at the edge of micropipette. Hands were forbidden to touch the teat so that it would not be contaminated with bacteria. The bottle of inoculum was opened using a hand and the end of micropipette was pressed gently to suck the content of inoculums. The cap of bottle was closed and the content of inoculum was placed in the first petri dish. The lid was opened slightly till the teat can be placed in the petri dish. The end of micropipette was pressed fully to release the sucked content of inoculums. The teat was then expelled into a bio-hazard waste bin. Same procedures were repeated for second and third petri dishes. Steps 6 to 13 were repeated by replacing bottle of inoculum (before) with bottle labelled 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M and commercial mouthwash B. Preparing bacterial lawn Nutrient agar solution was poured into a 1000ml conical flask. The solution was left to cool down for several minutes. After several minutes, the mouth of conical flask was heated with a Bunsen burner. This was done so that the aluminium foil could be capped on the mouth of conical flask for sterilising purpose. The mouth of conical flask was placed gently at a petri dish. The culture solution was poured into the petri dish until it was one-third full. This process is known as platting. Aluminium foil was capped back on the mouth of conical flask. The petri dish containing bacteria and agar solution was swirled gently by pressing and moving the petri dish on the table. The petri dish was left on the table for 10 minutes. This was done to ensure that the culture solution is solidified. Steps 1 to 7 were repeated for every petri dishes. All petri dishes were inverted and stored in an incubator for a week. After one-week incubation period, all petri dishes were observed for bacterial activity. Risk Assessment A complete aseptic procedure was used throughout the experiment. The work table was sprayed using a disinfectant to kill all the foreign bacteria present. Hands were washed with Dettol solution and gloves were worn so that I would not be infected by the bacteria when having a meal. Sterilised petri dishes were used because it contained only the oral bacteria when experiment was carried out. This was important to maintain the validity of results obtained. Sterilised distilled water was also used to make sure only oral bacteria were cultured. Teats of the micropipette were disposed off into a bio-hazard waste bin because they were contaminated with bacteria and could possibly infect other people. Disposing off the teats will solve the problem. The lid of petri dish was opened slightly when introducing bacteria into the petri dish. This was done to prevent any foreign bacteria in the lab to grow and reproduce in the petri dish containing agar solution. Distilled water was used to prepar e various concentrations of salt solution to make sure no other impurities would affect the concentration or molarity of the solution. The electronic balance was tarred to reset the reading value before weighing a specific mass of solid Sodium Chloride. Dropper was used to prevent any exceed above the graduation mark of volumetric flask when dilution was carried out. Mouth of conical flask was heated with Bunsen burner to ensure no contamination from other bacteria. Aluminium foil was capped back on the mouth of conical flask to prevent any foreign bacteria from entering the conical flask. At the end of the experiment, all petri dishes were sent for autoclaving for disposal purpose. Results Types of antibacterial solution Number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar 1stReading 2ndReading 3rdReading Mean Value Control 7 6 8 7.0 0.1M Salt Water 9 6 5 6.7 0.2M Salt Water 8 5 7 6.7 0.3M Salt Water 6 5 7 6.0 0.4M Salt Water 3 2 3 2.7 0.5M Salt Water 2 1 1 1.3 Commercial Mouthwash B 1 0 2 1.0 Table 1.3 : Number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar with respective types of antibacterial solution used. Keys : 1st reading was obtained from first petri dish. 2nd reading was obtained from second petri dish. 3rd reading was obtained from third petri dish. Graph 1.1 : Bar chart of mean number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar against types of antibacterial solution. Statistical Analysis There is no significant difference for the effectiveness of commercial mouthwash in inhibiting oral bacteria compared to salt solution of concentration greater than or equal to 0.4moldm-3. The calculated U-values are more than the Ucrit value which is zero at 5% significance level. The null hypothesis is not rejected as the U-values are not lower than Ucrit value. Therefore, null hypothesis is accepted and the experimental hypothesis is rejected. There is insufficient evidence to state that there is a significant difference for the effectiveness of commercial mouthwash in inhibiting oral bacteria compared to salt solution of concentration greater than or equal to 0.4moldm-3. 0.4M salt solution Rank Commercial mouthwash B Rank 3 5,5 0 2 1 3.5 1 1 2 5.5 1 3.5 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 1 14.5 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 2 6.5 Table 1.4 : Calculations for Mann-Whitney Test. Formulae for calculating U-values : U1 = n1n2 + n1(n1+1) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 1 2 U2 = n1n2 + n1(n1+1) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 2 2 Keys : n1 = size of the sample 1 (0.4M salt solution) n2 = size of the sample 2 (Commercial mouthwash B) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 1 = total rank of sample 1 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœRank sample 2 = total rank of sample 2 Calculations of U-values for both samples U1 = (3)(3) + (3)(3+1) 14.5 = 0.5 2 U2 = (3)(3) + (3)(3+1) 6.5 = 8.5 2 Significance level = 5% Value of Ucrit according to table = 0 Data analysis From the experiment conducted, it is shown that the mean number of bacteria colony found in nutrient agar due to commercial mouthwash B is lower than other salt solutions with various concentrations. When the concentration of salt solution is less than 0.4moldm-3, there is a large difference for the mean number of bacteria colony found between commercial mouthwash B and salt solution. The result changes when concentration of salt solution increases to 0.4moldm-3 where there is only a small difference for the mean number of bacteria colony found in nutrient agar. Commercial mouthwash B and salt solution are proven for inhibiting growth of oral bacteria. The number of oral bacteria found in mouth will drop significantly after gargling because antibacterial solutions kill or prevent the bacteria from growing. The most suitable method to find out the effect of antibacterial solution on the growth of oral bacteria is to count the number of bacteria colony found on nutrient agar after gargling the solutions. The results obtained are compared with the number of bacteria colony found before gargling the solutions which acts as a control. Temperature of incubation is set constant at 36.9oC where it represents the exact body temperature of a human body.[3] Commercial mouthwash B contains an active ingredient namely Chlorhexidine gluconate. It has both bactericidal and bacteriostatic mechanisms of action. It is a type of cell membrane agent. It disrupts the structure of cell membrane, causing the rigidity of the cell membrane to be broken down. This active chemical binds onto lipopolysaccharides, situated at outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, disrupting the structure lipid bilayer consisting of phospholipids. When the fluid lipid bilayer is broken down, cell organelles and metabolites no longer bordered by cell membrane. Loss of metabolites results in death of a bacterium.[1][6] Salt solution has a different mechanism in inhibiting growth of oral bacteria. Every microorganism needs an aqueous environment to thrive in. In low concentration of salt solution, the surrounding environment is hypotonic. The solute concentration remains higher than the surrounding solution. Oral bacteria have the ability to pump in ions with the energy comes from ATP by respiratory enzyme found in mesosomes. This ion pump moves ions from surrounding solution into the body of oral bacteria. There is water potential from surrounding solution to the cytoplasm of oral bacteria. Water moves into the cell by osmosis and this gives an aqueous environment which is favourable for oral bacteria to grow and reproduce. At high concentration of salt solution, the solute concentration in the surrounding solution is greater than the cytoplasm of oral bacteria. This is because the ion pump cannot keep up to pump in more ions efficiently. There is water potential from cytoplasm of bacteria to surro unding solution. Water moves out from cell by osmosis. Oral bacteria are dehydrated and eventually die within a minute. [5][7][8] However, there is a difference in mean number of bacteria colony found when different antibacterial solutions are used. The difference is mainly because active ingredient in commercial mouthwash B kills the bacteria and they can no longer reproduce again. When salt solution is used, bacteria may move away from the solution which has high solute concentration. Bacteria are not killed and may have the chances to reproduce again. Sample number 75% lake water 50% lake water 25% lake water 10% lake water Distilled water Sea water 183 162 154 95 32 10 8 185 24 20 16 4 1 1 186 33 38 29 2 0 2 187 266 247 109 16 3 5 187 224 214 125 17 11 7 188 290 285 146 41 8 14 Table 1.4 : number of bacteria found in respective water sample.[16] (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC545388/pdf/jbacter00775-0012.pdf) From the above data, it was an experiment conducted Dr.Claude E. Zobell and D. Quentin Anderson to investigate the number of bacteria found in different water sample. It can be seen that the number of bacteria colony decreased tremendously when the bacteria were cultured in a sample of sea water. Sea water has a high concentration of salt which will provide a high solute concentration compared to cytoplasm of oral bacteria. The difference from my data and theirs will be discussed in the evaluation section. Evaluation There are a few limitations found in this experiment. Contamination may occur when introducing bacteria into the petri dish. Foreign bacteria found in the air may enter the petri dish and reproduce in the nutrient agar. This was inevitable because lamina floor was broken down and could not be used for this experiment. A known species of a bacterium cannot be used as it is not available in the lab. Therefore, swab samples were obtained and these contained a mixture of bacteria as stated above. Experiment cannot be conducted only on a type of bacterium. Besides, nutrient agar solution may not be sterilised completely as the autoclave machine in the lab was broken down and spare parts were not available by that time. Therefore, nutrient agar solution was sterilised using a pressure cooker. This caused other foreign bacteria to survive and reproduce in the nutrient agar. The period of incubation chosen is a week because the bacteria cultured from swab samples are low in number. This requ ires a longer period for bacteria to grow and reproduce. The human subjects involved may not gargle the antibacterial solutions in a correct way. This will affect the validity of data obtained during observation. Lastly, the genetic makeups of bacteria found in swab samples are not known. This could not be prevented as a specific strain of bacterium was not recognised. As a result, some of the bacteria may have mutated and probably resistant to the antimicrobial solutions. The results obtained will be affected. These are the reasons why the findings are different from this experiment and experiment conducted by Professor above. The experiment can be modified by using a known strain of bacterium. This will increase the validity of data significantly. Moreover, different type of nutrient agar which is favourable for oral bacteria to grow can be used. This will cause the bacteria to grow and reproduce faster than expected. Thus, results can be obtained earlier. Furthermore, nutrient agar solution can be sterilised with an autoclave machine so any foreign bacteria present will be killed. Conclusion There is no significant difference for the effectiveness of commercial mouthwash in inhibiting oral bacteria compared to salt solution of concentration greater than or equal to 0.4moldm-3. Null hypothesis is accepted. Source Evaluation Source 1, 2 and 3 are published books thus the information are reliable. Sources 4 to 8 are journals. They are written by scientists all around the world and these are obtained from Science Direct webpage. Therefore, it is trustable. All the information should be factual and accurate. Source 9 and 16 are websites containing journals as well. Its journals are well-known and most of them are written by famous scientists. Sources 10,11,12,13 and 15 are websites of Wikipedia. Most of the data and information obtained here have citations and they are partially reliable and valid. Source 14 is the official website of Australian Dental Association. The information contained here is mainly about the effect of chlorhexidine. It is very reliable. Therefore, it should not contain any biased points based on arguments made.

Popular Music Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

Music has undergone many changes throughout and history and prehistory. These changes were always somehow connected to sociological movements at the time. Rock music evolved mostly out of a need by young people of the fifties to break away from so-cietal norms. America had just come out of the Korean War, and men looked to settle down into a peaceful life. Also just prior this time period, Senator Joseph McCarthy ac-tively encouraged citizens to conform with his infamously false accusations of Commu-nism. â€Å"McCarthy spectacularly charged that there were scores of known Communists in the Department of State† (Bailey 887). This made people fearful that they would be tried as Communists and led most to conform to a common societal standard. When the nation emerged from this era, teenagers sought to rebel against their parental authorities. They created everything from new styles of clothing to new styles of music to promote their newfound individuality. The new style of music evolving at the time was called Rock and Roll. â€Å"Rock has been influenced by country music, by the blues, by classical music, by calypso, by traditional folk styles, and by a variety of other music conventions† (Belz vii). This variety reflects the varied backgrounds of young people at the time. Early successes in this new music genre included Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry. This music only succeeded because the conditions in society and the opinions of the youth in that time period allowed it to succeed. This music revolution is not unique. Similar revolutions will occur if and when the circumstances permit. Modern music is going this direction, but has not reached the point of a new genre as of yet because conditions in so-ciety have not allowed a radical change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most obvious elements which separates rock music from previous forms of musical expression is a dominant rhythm accenting a strong beat. Rhythm is de-fined as â€Å"a basic element of music concerned with the duration of tones and the stresses or accents placed upon them† (Columbia Encyclopedia). Rhythm, developed in the 12th century, was not a new phenomenon; however, previously, the only musical genre to place so much emphasis on rhythm was Rhythm and Blues, from which rock derived much of its sound patterns. These â€Å"had their roots in slavery, borrowed their rhythms ... ...d of music heard by the public. The lyrics of modern songs indicate unruliness and anger among musicians. This indicates that the attitudes exist and it is possible that out of this overwhelming desire to resist authority, new songs will be written in new styles that may eventually lead to a new genre. The feeling that does not exist is the feeling that all citizens are the same and that they are conforming to societal standards. With increas-ing censorship of the Internet and privacy being infringed upon with new anti-terrorist laws, this feeling may begin to take hold of the nation. It is not within the foreseeable, however, because these issues do not affect most of the population. Music is a medium of expression for all people, so the people’s music must speak to the people. Smaller changes have been made to rock music in the last forty-five years. If this genre is so malleable, then change must come frequently. Once the elements are in place, music will undergo a chan ge. Rock music evolved out of conditions in society. If these conditions exist again, another music revolution will occur. Many of the elements are already in place, it is only a matter of time before the change.

Elevators to Space :: physics space elevator

The idea of an elevator into space is not a new one. First contemplated by a Russian scientist in 1895, it was not truly popularized until Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Fountains of Paradise in 1978. The idea is so simple, it seems absurd. A tether is extended from the surface of the earth, and using a combination of gravity and centrifugal force, is extended outwards. Vehicles can then scale this tether, removing the need for costly rockets. Arthur C. Clarke claims that the space elevator is an attainable goal, and we will have one â€Å"about 10 years after people stop laughing.† However, before it can be constructed, there are many engineering issues that need to be worked out. This page is not the end all, and contains no breakthroughs or answers. However, it does include some interesting information that may aid in answering questions about this subject: If you're going to build a 62,000 km rope, what would you use?. This application ends up being a gigantic tug of war. With gravity pulling down, and centrifugal force pulling up, the material has to be very strong just to hold its own weight, let alone the additional load of the elevator’s â€Å"car.† Until the early 1990’s, no such material was known. In 1991, carbon nanotubes were discovered. Although not currently a feasible option, current research in this topic may lead to breakthroughs very soon. How do you build a vehicle capable of climbing a tether into space, under its own power? This leads to another engineering feat for this project is a climber. It may seem like this is a simple extension of modern robotics, many of the caveats of this application require further research and experimentation. With any large structure, a major question on everyone's mind is "is it safe?" For something like a several thousand kilometer high freestanding elevator, there are two questions: "is it safe for the occupants/cargo?" and "is it safe for everyone/everything else?" The last question, and possibly the most important of all: "How much is this going to cost?" If its not economically feasible, all of the research in the world will not make it happen. No matter how you look at it, a project like this will be a very expensive endeavor. One of the biggest obstacles to building a space elevator has always been the choice of material for the tether. Until recently, there was no material known to man that could handle the stresses involved. With the discovery of carbon nanotubes, the strongest material known to man, a possible solution has been found.

The Percept of Pain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Percept of Pain: Where does it come from? In class we have discussed the concept of pain, concluding that a conflict between what the brain anticipates occurring and what actually occurs has the potential to cause the perception of pain. Furthermore, it was suggested that genetics might have a role in the experience of pain, particularly when applied to the discussion of phantom limb pain. However, I found these inferences a bit unsatisfying and walked away with more questions than answers. Where does chronic pain come into the picture? Why is a stimulus that is painful for one person not for another? And the question that puzzled me the most: how, from a neurobiological perspective, can an individual experience pain in her arm if she was born without one? Pain, a component of the somatosensory system, is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" (1). The perception of pain serves as a defense system to maintain homeostasis, warning of injury that should be avoided and/or treated. Injured limbs actually inhibit voluntary movement to promote necessary healing processed (2). So essential is the painful response that those individuals born with congenital pain insensitivity do not react to pain, often resulting in severe, permanent tissue damage, and even premature death. A crucial concept in the definition of pain is that it is indeed a perception, therefore involving the brain's rumination and elaboration on corresponding input. This may be paralleled to another sensory perception, vision. Although the optic nerve head should cause a "hole" in an individual's... ...ally cynical about notions that are not physiologically observable, I am surprisingly excited by the idea of a neuromatrix and look forward to rethinking my pervious understandings of the nervous system's workings. It may be interesting to see how the I-function is involved with this process and why pain treatments such as biofeedback have been known to produce positive results. References This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments

William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” & It’s Socio-Economic Levels

Johany Hernandez Professor Gray ENC 1102 October 12, 2011 Life’s Own Food Chain William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† depicts socio-economic levels of the post Civil War rural South. Social class and economic worth is a major theme throughout the story. It displays a hierarchy of different financial level that is used to portray different socio-economic standpoints among groups. At the very bottom of the social structure are Sarty and his family. On the following level, there is the de Spain’s Negro servant. Afterwards, is Mr. Harris. At the top of the ladder are Major de Spain and his wife, Lula de Spain. All of these characters represent the differences among the socio-economic groups, and how they intertwine with each other in the community. At the bottom of the rank are Sarty and his family. They are farmers who work on others’ plantations because they cannot afford to have their own. They are definitely an uneducated group of individuals. This can be seen when Sarty is speaking: ‘He won’t git no ten bushels neither. He won’t git one. ’ Another good example would be their clothing. Sarty’s sisters are â€Å"†¦in a flutter of cheap ribbons. The family’s clothes consist of â€Å"an incredible expanse of pale clothes and a flutter of tawdry ribbons. † Moreover, Abner Snopes is depicted as someone who does not desire change, even for the betterment of his family. The father walks â€Å"stiffly from where a Confederate provost’s man’s musket ball had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse thirty years ago. â₠¬  He also seems to wear the same black coat constantly. Above Sarty in the hierarchy structure is the de Spain’s servant. The Negro is being described as â€Å"†¦an old man with neat grizzled hair, in a linen jacket. His living in the de Spain’s mansion shows that he is of higher status than the Snopes family. He lives very comfortably in the manor. The fact that he is wearing a linen jacket illustrates that he is exceptionally well taken care of. Though still a servant, he is presumably higher in the hierarchy of the social ladder. The servant is still very well underneath the hierarchy because he is uneducated. He speaks similarly to the Snopes. An instance is: ‘Wipe yo foots, white man, fo you come in here. Major ain’t home nohow. ’ The next character, who is placed above the servant, is Mr. Harris. Though not much is said about who he is, the story portrays him as a landowner. The Snopes’ worked on his farm for a short-term period, which eventually ended in his barn burning. With the bit of information on Mr. Harris, it can be said that he is almost certainly above middle-class. Mr. Harris says ‘The next time I put the hog in my pen. When he came to get it I gave him enough wire to patch up his pen. ’ Examples are that he owns a farm, and a cornfield. Also, that he is able to employ Mr. Snopes and his family as tenant farmers to work on his land. At the top of the hierarchy is a very rich man, Major de Spain and his wife, Lula de Spain. It is very apparent that they are more than wealthy by the description of the home’s surroundings. â€Å"†¦the grove of oak trees and cedars and the other flowering trees and shrubs where the house would be, though not the house yet. They walked beside a fence massed with honeysuckle and Cherokee roses and came to a gate swinging open to between two brick pillars†¦ he saw the house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Also, the home itself was grand and white. Sarty thinks ‘Hit’s big as a courthouse. ’ Inside the house, even Sarty is flabbergasted by how beautiful it is. The narrator describes it as â€Å"†¦deluged as though by a warm wave by a suave turn of carpeted stair and a pendant glitter of chandeliers and a mute gleam of gold frames†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A very important example of social reign is that Mr. and Mrs. De Spain speak grammatically correct. This alone shows more class as opposed to Sarty and the servant. Throughout the story, the socio-economic classes clash against one another because of social troubles, or economic harms. Sarty and his family, who portrays the lowest of the low show how their family live day by day without reassurance of the future. The servant–clean cut and more well-mannered than the Snopes’, serves the de Spains’, and ultimately somewhat bathes a bit in their riches. Mr. Harris, a minor character, yet the obvious next personality in the hierarchy, is a stable, above middle-class man who though does not own a mansion, is very well off. This now leaves Mr. and Mrs. De Spain, the ones who are not only rich, but exceed the social class norms among the other characters. They are at the top of the food chain—rich, intelligent and very powerful. The lives of these characters help understand the inner-workings of society and its inhabitants.

Effects of Online Advertisements on Newspaper Advertisements Essay

Advertisements can either take the form of print advertising through newspapers, magazines, brochures, and fliers or in non-print form such as those found in television, radio, video, and internet. The key purpose of advertisements is to bring to the attention of potential customers the existence of a new product or service. A good advertisement should be able to persuade the potential customers to purchase and keep them motivated to do a certain action (Tolani, 2010). While the function of advertising has not changed from the act of influencing the decision of a potential customer, the form of advertisement has radually evolved with new advertisement media emerging. Radio advertisement emerged with the coming of radios in the 1920s. The number of people who owned radios increased to about 82% by 1940. However, television was introduced in the 1950s, and was soon a common appliance in almost all households. This resulted in the increase of television advertisement expenditure to near ly $1. 5 billion by 1960s. Outdoor advertisement can be traced back to the post World War era to the American Safety Razor Company in 1925 when it advertised a brushless shaving cream on a mega billboard (Tolani, 2010). The advent of video cassette recorders saw a new trend in advertisement during the period between the early 1980s and late 1990s. The video cassette recorders became very popular with viewers, but video advertisement met a major hitch as viewers easily fast-forwarded ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 11 through advertisements while watching tapes. This compelled firms to resort to product placement in which their products were used in television shows and films. The latest media development in this field is the use of internet for advertising. There has generally been an increase in computer ownership and the use of internet has rapidly grown. It might not be easy to predict the advertisement media that will be widely used in the future. However, it is an open fact that advertisements will continue to improve and strive to become more useful to businesses and to the consumer (Tolani, 2010). Entrepreneurs and business managers are faced with the challenge of making a choice for an advertising media on a daily basis. This is because the success of their establishments greatly depends on the ability of the entrepreneurs and managers to create product and service awareness, build their firm’s image and reputation, and generate sales leads and revenues. These efforts can only be realized by the use of newspaper and magazine advertisements, radio advertisements, television advertisements, outdoor advertising, web advertising, among many other advertising media. What will determine the final medium choice may vary from one business to another and the various factors that are in play toward meeting the specific business objectives (Patsula Media, 2007). Irrespective of the medium of advertisement that a business chooses to use for its products and services, it is important to note that both the print advertising and online advertising are highly necessary, given that the approaches toward both, the purposes, and even the audiences are very different. It is not very advisable to consider one of these media as more effective that the other on mere basis of seasonal variance because either may overtake the other at some give time. A good number of people also have access to both sources and this makes it ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 12 mportant for entrepreneurs and business managers to give due consideration to both (Web Windows, 2010). Thesis Statement Given the increased growth of information that is available over the internet and the subsequent increase in the number of people who tend to spend more time on the internet, companies are turning to advertise their goods and service online so as to capture this newly generated m arket. Emphasis has thus shifted to the possible effects that this emerging trend of online advertisement may have on newsprint advertisement, both in popularity and advertisement revenue. Statement of the Problem Advertisement plays a very important function in the trading processes as it is the only means through which a business can bring to the attention of the consumers about their products, introduce a new product in the market or promote the sales of an existing product or service. All these are core activities—without which, a business setup cannot effectively compete for customers in the already-crowded market. Though there are numerous media through which a business may place its advertisements, the most commonly used medium is the newspaper because of its wide readership and circulation. With the advent and advancement of technology, newspaper publishers have embraced information technology to an extent of presenting their publications both as newsprint and online versions. This advancement means that entrepreneurs have the option of choosing which version of a newspaper through which to place their advertisements. This will mainly be determined by an entrepreneur’s own evaluation of the medium that will best suit the business needs. Lately, there ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 13 as been growing debate about the popularity of online newspaper and newsprint. This debate cannot escape the attention of entrepreneurs who significantly rely on these news media for their advertisements. There is general consensus that online versions of newspapers are gaining popularity among readers worldwide. Could this increasing popularity and, to some extent, translate into increased preference by entrepreneurs to place their advertisements online instead of the newsprint version of newspapers? Background of the Problem Given the central role which newspapers play in the advertisement of goods and services by businesses, it is only important that entrepreneurs give special attention and critical evaluation on the volume of readership and scope of circulation of both the online version and newsprint version of newspapers. This would mean that new considerations are factored in when making a choice for advertisement media by business contrary to previous emphasis that focused only on readership and circulation. Ability to access n advertisement by potential customers is a major concern that attracts heated boardroom debates in companies, particularly due to intense competition for the crowded market. The significance of an advertisement media with regard to scope of outreach means that both entrepreneurs and advertisement agencies have a responsibility to adopt the use of advertisement media capable of optimizing market outreach for a product or service. Key aspects for consideration with regard to ch oice of advertisement media are mainly in areas of target audience and access. These entail considerations of readership and circulation which would ensure that an advertisement reaches the highest number of target audience within the shortest duration possible and draws attention in the most appropriate way. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 14 While many entrepreneurs are coming up with several measures of ensuring they significantly save on advertisement costs for their products and services, advertising agencies are of the opinion that optimizing market outreach can best be achieved by choosing a media with huge readership and wide circulation. Key areas suggested by advertisement experts include impact and ability to attract attention among other advertisements. When due consideration is given to these two aspects, an advertisement media will be able to achieve market outreach by approximately 70%, which is equivalent to nearly 5% of the total product market in a crowded environment. It is generally agreed that upgrading of newspapers to online versions can help to significantly improve their readership and accessibility, translating to wider market outreach for online advertisements. Such advancement in technology has for long been credited as significant part of increasing readership, expanding circulation, and making lasting impact in advertisement. The most remarkable gain for online advertisement can be attributed to the increase in number of people owning computers and therefore spending a lot of time on the internet unlike the numbers of people buying newsprint and the time they spend reading it. Justification for the Study Effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement are a welcome topic at this time when there is growing concern that newsprint advertisement is becoming less and less effective in an environment where consumers are increasingly getting their information online and from other non-traditional sources. This belief has also drawn a lot of objection from newspaper advertisement sales agent who insist that newsprint advertising is more effective than online advertising. To them, newsprint advertising is tangible, making it possible for a potential ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 15 customer to clip it out, hold in the hand and carry to the store unlike online advertisements, which is only visual. Though online advertisement can cost a business slightly more, it is becoming more popular with consumers and can thus not be simply brushed off. This calls for a strategy that will ensure that this advertisement medium is embraced without jeopardizing the profits of a business. Deficiencies in the evidence The choice of an advertisement media that an entrepreneur or a business opts to use for its products or services are mainly determined by size of business and the target audience— whether they are other businesses, youth, elderly, men or women. The access to an advertisement by these groups of persons is quite varied as all of them have their own preferences of media choices. The youth may be found of internet while the elderly may be accustomed to newsprint. While online advertising may make a big impact among the youth, it may not necessarily do the same with the elderly or housewives. The size of a business will also play a big role in the choice of advertising media. For example, small businesses may not have all the money to invest in certain media which are considered expensive and are therefore a preserve for big businesses. Advertising is an expensive venture and may not be appealing or affordable to all entrepreneurs. This means that the choice of a media may not necessarily be determined by its effectiveness but rather by the investment capacity of any given entrepreneur. Evidence obtained for this study will thus be influenced to a greater extent by individual entrepreneur considerations and not necessarily by the popularity of any given media. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 16 Definition of Terms Advertising Media: refers to means by which an advertising message is carried to potential customers and includes television, radio, internet, magazines, newspaper, and signage Online Advertising: refers to advertising that is done over the internet Newsprint Advertising: refers to placing advertisements on a newspaper Purpose of the Study The purpose of studying effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement is to: 1. Ensure that entrepreneurs are provided with ample information regarding the various advertisement media to enable them make informed choices 2. Ensure that myths revolving effectiveness of either newsprint advertisement or online advertisement are eliminated and substituted with live statistics 3. Ensure that advertisement agencies are able to adjust their media in a manner that will enable businesses reach their target audience in the most effective way and at the least cost possible 4. Ensure that recommendations are made that would help entrepreneurs make a choice on the most effective media for their advertisements. This study is significant because it would help in ensuring that useful information is made available to help entrepreneurs with their advertisement decisions, particularly those focusing on newsprint and online advertisements. It will also ensure that advancements in technology are ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 17 embraced and advertising services evolve to best meet the opportunities and challenges of the future with regard to market outreach. Hypotheses The following hypotheses were tested in this study: 1. H01: Advertising plays a central role in business success. HA1: Advertising does not play a central role in the success of a business. 2. H02: Most businesses advertise on newsprint media. HA2: Most businesses do not advertise on newsprint media. 3. H03: Most entrepreneurs prefer to use online advertisements for their products. HA3: Most entrepreneurs do not prefer to use online advertisement for their products. 4. H04: Newsprint advertising is more effective that online advertising. HA4: Newsprint advertising is less effective than online advertising. 5. H05: Online advertising is the future of product advertisement. HA5: Online advertising is not the future of product advertisement. Summary The shift in focus by entrepreneurs and businesses to put more attention on online advertisement instead on the traditional advertisement media is broadly seen as one of the main steps toward technological revolution of the advertising industry. This would go a long way in realizing wider market outreach and increased sales for businesses and publishers who embrace the internet for their publications. This, in essence, would mean increased readership for online version of newspapers, translating into bigger profit margins. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 18 This study has been designed to explore various modes of newspapers as major advertisement media which can be used by entrepreneurs and businesses to advertise their products and services. Special focus has been given to Star Newsprint and Star Online, which are Malaysia’s leading English publications. Chapter two of this work is an extensive literature review on matters relating to online and newsprint publications as well as online and newsprint advertisement. Chapter three is an outline of data collection and treatment while chapters four and five respectively present findings and discussions. Chapter six outlines major conclusions and recommendations. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 19 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Newspapers have conventionally played a very significant role in the advertisement of goods and services. This has been mainly attributed to their wide readership and circulation since they can be easily obtained, from the nearest street vendor to the biggest shopping mall in the biggest city. The readership of newspapers also cut across all ages, sexes, and social classes as they normally publish articles that would be useful to all these category of persons in one way or the other,. Newspapers have for long dominated the advertisement scene due to the low costs involved as compared to other advertisement media. Newspaper comes either as newsprint or online. Newspaper publishers have lately resorted to the two kinds of publication to meet the various demands of different readers (Mutter, 2010). The introduction of online version of newspaper has seen a significant drop in the readership of the print newspaper, and this trend is projected to continue into the future. This scenario which is almost inevitable and probably irreversible is generating big concern on the future of printed newspaper as well as newsprint advertisement. The printing of newspaper remains very important for publishers since it is responsible for the biggest volume of revenue for publishers, contributing nearly 90% of the total revenue for a newspaper company. Analyst are quick to point that any attempt to rid of print newspaper would simply through publication companies out of business since the advertising revenue will almost drop to 5%, if not zero (Mutter, 2010). However, the continued survival of print newspaper will to a great extent be determined by consumer demands, good state of an economy, and the interest of marketers to use newsprint ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 20 advertising. It is predicted that with the diminishing economic prospects declining advertising revenue, there is a high possibility of a major drop in consumer demand for print newspapers. This is based on the fact that close to half of print newspaper readers are aged population who are statistically likely to pass out with time. The younger population is not found of print newspapers, and this habit will probably accompany them to old age. Unless this readership habit of the younger population changes, it is quite evident that the print newspaper readership will continue to shrink as the aged population slowly makes their exit, leaving the younger population that has already formed a habit of not reading the print newspaper (Mutter, 2010). Evaluation of Print Newspaper Print newspaper has conventionally been associated with a number of advantages, which have probably made it very popular. It is generally agreed that print newspapers have loyal readership, which makes it a powerful advertising tool as compared to internet. Print newspaper is considered very effective when a particular geographic area is being targeted; for example, when you want to notify people of about a forthcoming sporting event. For those who have information to convey, print newspaper is more flexible in terms of space as one is able to determine the size that would best suit his/her needs. Certain print newspapers enjoy many loyal fans, thus increasing their readership (Lad, 2009). On the other hand, print newspapers have certain disadvantages. Print newspaper generally has limited lifespan, meaning they are only available to the public for a single day after which they are withdrawn from sale. Print newspaper may not give a wide reach as compared with internet that has a global audience. Print newspapers have the limitation in terms of the ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 21 audience who may actually read it, and certain copies may actually not be available on demand at all times (Lad, 2009). Evaluation of Online Newspaper Online newspapers tend to offer information to the reader much more quickly as compared to the print version. The online version is always available on the internet before the print version is on the streets. Online publications can normally be updated several times in a day with the latest news and happenings. Moreover, while print version is purchased, online newspapers are accessed free of charge. This makes it possible for a reader to use a wide spectrum of newspapers possible. Online versions enable users to make use of links to divide large units of information into more easily digestible portions, and to search information in the newspaper is also automated. Readers of online versions are able to archive articles on the computer, contact editors via e-mail, and use interactive games (Lad, 2009). The disadvantages attributed to online versions included the fact that they do not give detailed reports on all the subjects and tend to omit several sections found in the print version. This limits information available to the online reader. Reading from a computer does not convey the traditional experience of reading a newspaper, which is a key characteristic of print newspaper. During peak times when several users are scrambling to access news, the download times are very long. Online newspapers are characterized by so many links which are quite confusing instead of being useful, particularly the amount of research necessary and the need to constantly check the link address. One gets tired looking at the computer screen and it may take time to get used to them (Lad, 2009). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 22 Case Study: Star Online and Star Newspaper The Star is one of the leading English language newspapers in Malaysia. The statistics issued from the Audit Bureau of Circulation indicate that the print version of this newspaper has a daily circulation of nearly 950,000 copies while the Sunday Star records a readership of nearly 850,000. The publication is mainly owned by the Malaysian Chinese Association. The main competitors of this publication are The Sun and the New Straits Times, which are also published in English. The Star newspaper traces its history back in 1971, when it was first published as a regional newspaper in Georgetown. By 1976, the newspaper had gained national circulation in Malaysia, and established its headquarters at the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The growth in business saw the company relocate to Petaling Jaya, where it is currently based (Star Publication, 2009). The company’s print newspapers, The Star Daily and The Sunday Star are published in five different editions. Two of the editions cover the northern eninsular states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Perak. Two other editions cover the larger country. The Star Daily is divided into sections consisting of the Main Paper, StarBiz, StarTwo, Star Metro, and classified section. The features of the Main Paper are predominantly local and international news. The StarBiz is mainly concerned with trade and reports on market trends, financial reports, and stock market updates. On the other hand, Star Tw o mainly feature articles on entertainment, environment, science, lifestyle, and fashion among several others. Lastly, the content of Star Metro is varied and tends to focus more on the area of circulation (Star Publication, 2009). The continued demand by the publication’s readers saw the emergence of The Star Online, which is an internet version of The Star newspaper. This was in response to the persistent ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 23 demand for an online version of the newspaper, and it finally made entry into the market in 2005. The company prides its strengths as a newspaper on the cornerstones of internet and media ventures. The Star Online and its many components are produced, managed, developed, and contributed to by the Star Division, The Star Online and Multimedia Newsdesk teams of The Star’s Editorial Department (Star Publication, 2009). Newsprint Advertisement Advertisement can be traced to the emergence of trading activities from very early days as evidenced by archeological artifacts drawn from different parts of the world. With the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg who was a German Goldsmith, merchants were able to duplicate advertisements for their wares. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, newsprint advertising had become the primary means for companies to communicate their sales and promotions to the consumers. This was mainly through media such as newspapers, magazines, fliers, posters, and billboards (Walker, 2010). Following the invention of printing press, advertisements became a common place in weekly newspapers and periodical journals. The items, which were mainly featured in such advertisements, included new machines, other print publications or reported the discoveries and inventions of the enlightenment era. The first newsprint to offer advertising space for sale was the French publication La Presse in 1836. This saw this newsprint being sold more cheaply, hence recorded increased readership and profitability. This move inspired other newspapers and magazines across the world to follow suit in this commercial strategy. In the contemporary newsprint, advertising designers are able to visualize highly creative commercials through digital image manipulation in order to make the biggest market impact (Walker, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 24 Newsprints still remain key advertisement medium for every business to such a point that it is hard to imagine doing business without advertising in a newspaper or a magazine. This is particularly important for small businesses that can hardly afford other media of advertisement. Paid-circulation newspapers have for long dominated the mass media market for advertisement as reflected in advertisement sales volumes. Newspapers are very popular with both multinational businesses and small-scale dealers. This is probably due to the fact that businesses come in three distinct forms namely local, regional, and national newspapers each targeting different audience according to its scope of circulation (Patsula Media, 2007). Advantages There are a number of advantages that print newspaper advertisements have over online advertisements. Print newspapers have very wide circulation as almost every home in the city subscribed to daily access of a printed newspaper. Where the advertisement is intended to reach audience only in a particular geographical region, print newspaper readily permits this. The printed advertisement benefits from both permanence and desired obsolescence. This means that a reader is able to refer back or even cut out a particular advert. Print newspapers have a predictable frequency of publication, either on daily or weekly basis, making it possible for advertisers to target days of wider readership for their adverts (Brassil, 2010). The immediacy that print newspapers have makes it possible for urgent advertisements to be responded fast, thereby producing urgent results. When deadlines are short, it permits quick responses to changing market conditions. Readers are already accustomed themselves to getting advertisements on print newspapers to an extent that a good number buys print newspapers just to read advertisements. At the same time, print newspaper reading has nearly become a habit for ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 25 most people. Specific sector adverts can be very easily placed on the various sections of print newspaper such as sports, news, and classifieds to ensure the target is directly hit (Brassil, 2010). Print newspapers give advertisers a lot of flexibility both in size and placement. This means that production changes can be easily responded to whenever the need arises. Advertisements that are placed on print newspapers can be examined at leisure since the exposure is not limited, thus readers are able to take their time going through the message. Since placement on print newspaper can be tailored to a size that suits the budget of the advertiser, it is possible even for small businesses to place their small adverts at low costs. Print newspapers offer wide options to advertisers whether place their advertisements as copy only, copy with graphics, colored, or black and white. Finally, print newspapers features supplements which readers can easily pull out and save (Brassil, 2010). Disadvantages Advertising on print newspaper has not escaped its own set of shortcomings. Because of the large number of advertisements which are featured on the newspaper, any particular advertisement must compete for reader’s attention. This means that readers who only spend a few minutes reading the print newspaper may fail to capture the advertisement. At the same time, there is hardly a guarantee that everybody who reads the print newspaper will read the advertisements placed in it. This is because a print newspaper has several sections and not all readers read every section of the newspaper. The short lifespan, normally daily, that newspapers have forces advertisers to insert multiple advertisements even for a whole week so as to reach a good number of readers. This may be expensive particularly for small businesses (Brassil, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 26 Online Advertisement The revolution in information and communication technology has come with both opportunities and risks for the business community, particularly from the point of view of the traditionally-established media. Internet as a form of computer aided communication is equally unsure for the print media. The technical potential in advertisement that online newspaper offers surpasses that of the printed newspaper in several ways. Online newspaper is interactive multimedia for providing internal and external networks, while offering a selection of functions, possibility for regular updates, access to archives, rapid access to large number of newspapers, and being paperless, thus ensuring there is no problem of waste disposal (Neuberger, Tonnemacher, Bibl & Duck, 1998). Advantages The economic constraints that businesses face on everyday basis often leave enterprises with very little money to spare on advertising. This is more common among the small businesses who often find themselves light in the pocket. It is therefore important to opt for an advertisement medium that give optimum output and minimal costs. Online advertisement is generally seen to be complacent in this line than the traditional newsprint advertisement. When online advertisements are on a pay-per-click basis, an entrepreneur only pays when a potential customer clicks on the advert and ends up on the entrepreneur’s website. This ensures that businesses only pay for leads that end up in their website as opposed to mass messages in the print newspaper that may or may not reach the target audience. There is therefore maximum return on investment for a business using online advertisement (Rogers, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 27 Online advertisement also works very quickly given the fact that the day that one gets started is the same day that results manifest. There is basically neither waiting period nor long startup process. Once an entrepreneur is ready to get started, he/she can very easily launch a successful advertisement promotion on a number of channels. This tends to produce quick results and the campaign can also be maintained for a longer period of time unlike print newspapers which have daily lifespan. Online advertisement enables businesses to target their markets more efficiently than print newspapers. This can be achieved through the use of social networks that an entrepreneur considers relevant to the campaign. Once these social networks are identified, a business can dig very deeply into their niche, enabling them to produce the maximum results with very little investment (Rogers, 2010). Advertising online has the advantage of giving elaborate and thorough statistics that enables a business to tweak and optimize their campaigns to the maximum. This is a total deviation from newsprint advertising when one can do very little to track the success of one campaign as compared to another. Online advertising avails quite a number of information just at a mouse click. With online advertising, an entrepreneur is able to monitor the number of people who visits the business website, where they come from, what they did once they were there, and many other details. Online advertisement also allows full control and analysis since one is able to manage how many times to show up in the search engines, thus make it possible to gain huge returns for the business (Rogers, 2010). Disadvantages One key disadvantage that is associated with online advertisement relates to advertising overload as there is incredible amount of clutter on most web pages. This arises from the fact that ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT every advertiser tries to draw the attention of web viewers, making readers have access to too much information which they can hardly digest. Under these circumstances, the web viewers normally choose to ignore the advertisements and this will lead to low rates of return. Also, online advertisement is still a new concept for many advertisement agencies, which simply cannot tell just yet which advertising method works best (Rogers, 2010). 28 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY Introduction In research undertaking, the methodology section is one of the crucial areas to be tackled in a proposal document because it forms the basis of the results of research findings. A research can be faced with big challenges due to wrong choice of method used. To avoid this, good planning of the method is essential and in order to get reliable results. The issue of reliability establishes that a research should have the ability to show consistency in the results even after a study is repeatedly done by different researchers. Reliability in research study can also be enhanced through good structure of the methodology. When the correct data collection methods are used, proportional samples are collected, and the correct method of analysis is used, a research can achieve validity. Since this thesis is inductive in nature, it prompted the application of a qualitative methodology. This means that the views of newspaper publishers and advertisement experts have been given a lot of weight. This was done by administering both physical and online questionnaires as well as conducting in-depth interviews—each lasting nearly 45 minutes. Those interviewed had to be newspaper publishers, advertisement agencies, and general newspaper readers in Malaysia who have been in the sector for the last five years. Moreover, at the time of the interview, they were actively engaged in related media and general businesses. This ensured very rich data was gathered from persons with a wealth of experience. Data Collection Methods The key purpose of data collection was to ensure that a rich set of description was obtained. To achieve this, the interviews were transcribed in real time by the interviewer. The ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 30 responses were then reduced and analyzed by adopting principles of data codification and clustering (Miles & Huberman, 1994). This was supplemented by administration of questionnaires as well as comprehensive review of relevant literature. Sources The data gathered for this research is from a wide range of documentary sources relating to newspapers as advertisement medium in general as well as those specifically relating to print newspaper and online newspaper giving special emphasis to The Star Publications. These mainly included policy documents and academic and the non-academic documents. First, journals on newspaper advertisements were searched. Second, electronic databases were searched using key words like ‘newsprint advertisement’, ‘online advertisement’ ‘real The Star newspaper’ and ‘effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. ’ Literature review included both conceptual and empirical works, with about 15 articles reviewed for this study. Interviews The interviews dwelt on the following areas: ? The considerations when choosing advertisement media ? The relationship between newspaper readership and circulation and advertisement impact ? The means of promoting advertisement on both print newspaper and online newspaper so as to enable business reap maximum benefits from these advertisement media ? What the future holds for print newspapers and online newspapers, with emphasis on The Star Daily and The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 31 Questionnaires A questionnaire survey of the newspaper publication sector was conducted to understand the aspects of print newspaper and online newspaper advertisements in Malaysia. The survey was explanatory in nature as the objective was to gain insight on the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. The questionnaire was administered to nearly 100 Malaysia entrepreneurs, 100 Star Publication readers, and over 100 advertisement experts. The set sent to the entrepreneurs and advertisement experts included a cover letter, which explains the purpose and need for the study, the questionnaire document, and a prepaid reply envelope. Letters reminding the respondents of the questionnaires were later sent to those who had not responded within the three weeks duration. Case Study This thesis involves classical use of case studies to gain a deeper insight through the application of a set of ideas. A multiple case study approach helps in developing a theory which is better grounded, more accurate, and more generalized (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007). Case studies are introduced to test the possible effects that advertising in online newspapers could have on advertising on print newspapers, and the users’ adoption of one over the other. The use of case study is important in practical testing of theories with practitioners in real life situation. The case study organizations are selected based on the idea of theoretical sampling. This is because when it comes to building a theory, theoretical sampling tends to be preferred as compared to generalized concept found in statistical studies. This means that the cases are chosen for theoretical and not for statistical reasons (Schroeder, Linderman, Liedtke & Choo, 2008). An analysis has been developed on how the use of online advertisement is steadily gaining popularity among entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and particularly the use of The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 32 Survey Analysis From the nearly 100 questionnaires that were mailed to entrepreneurs, 85 were returned. This represented an 85% response to the questionnaires. However, those that contained usable data were only 70, thus a satisfactory response rate can be said to have been reasonably attained. From the 100 questionnaires administered to advertisement experts, 80 were duly completed and handed over. From these about 74 contained usable data representing nearly 80% response rate which can be considered satisfactory. Ninety-five out of the 100 readers of both versions of The Star duly responded to the questionnaires and all had useful data. Chart 1 Treatment of Data In research, the data collected need to be synthesized in order to make sense with regard to what is being studied. The data from the questionnaires in this research were analyzed extensively to retrieve the information contained in them (Zikmund, 2003). The triangulation method for data analysis and interpretation was used to interpret the data collected, basing arguments on grounded theory (Dick, 2000; Knafl & Breitmayer, 1991). In addition, the information obtained from the case study were analyzed individually and thereafter, a comparison was made between the different data sources. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 33 Research Limitations The main limitation that may be pointed out in this research is the use of a single case study. However, it is also true that online advertisement is still a recent concept that has not gained much popularity among entrepreneurs. At the same time, the single case approach has weight in the sense that it allows the achievement of a comprehensive analysis. Some of the information have also not been validated through multiple case analyses so as to provide a solid and practical basis for understanding the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. Rigor, Validity, Reliability, and Ethics The four categories of quality management in research were highly considered. These include validity, reliability, ethics, and rigor (Zikmund, 2003). Reliability of a research is its ability to demonstrate consistency in results; this was achieved through the control of sample by stratifying the population to get a more representative sample. On the other hand, validity is the ability of a scale to measure what it is intended to measure but not going beyond the topic of the study. The triangulation method was used to control this aspect in the thesis. Ethics involves adherence to the norms accepted in gathering of information and this has been ensured by providing secrecy on the information collected from the entrepreneurs. Lastly, the rigor of the research was directed toward efficient sample size in a critical facet in any investigation. The main purpose that a researcher utilizes a sample is to reduce the charges and to collect important data faster (Zikmund, 2003). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT Human Rights Protection The people who were interviewed were assured of their confidentiality. In addition, the information gathered ensures the people’s privacy. The entrepreneurs and their businesses will have their rights protected. Research Schedule/Timeline This research took a period of eight weeks. This is considered an ideal timeframe given the busy schedule of some of the subjects who were to be interviewed and have granted appointments at later dates. A detailed summary of the work plan for the research has been tabulated below: Table 1: Work Plan Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Research proposal Preliminary literature review search Literature review and writing Interviews Case study collection Interview editing, coding and interpretation Report interpretation Report writing and presentation 34 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 35 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS Research findings indicate that The Star Online is not yet well explored as regularly as The Star Daily print version. According to the survey, only 41% of the users of The Star Online read it daily, as opposed to the 60% who read The Daily Star daily. Chart 2 Seventy percent read The Star Online edition several times a week, while 80% read The Star Daily several times a week. Only 5% of online users say they never read a print version. Online newspapers are read less frequently and also for shorter periods than printed newspapers. Four out of five users (81%) spend less than an hour reading The Star Online on days when they read it. Only 35% of print readers spend such a short time on it. About one-third of the readers of both The Star Online and The Star Daily were unwilling to pin themselves down to a particular time of day for reading the paper. One in four (25%) said they read The Star Daily between 5 and 9 a. m. The main time for reading The Star Online is around 6 p. m. (38%)—this is the time preferred by users of the online edition, which can be read ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 36 on the evening before the printed version appears or which are updated several times in the course of the day. In The Star Online version, the classic sections of the newspaper are the most frequently used. The section Local News is also highly popular. One in three readers of the online version uses the archive frequently (32%) and only about one-third of users did not read the small ads (37%). Items with entertainment value or with feedback possibilities were not very popular. Clear differences emerged between the different kinds of versions, and this only shows that preferences are transferred from the print media to their online equivalents. Proof of this is the strong interest in Local/Regional Affairs of Internet users of local and regional newspapers or the importance attached to up-to-date information on politics and business matters. A number of questions dealt with the comparison of the information content of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily. Compared with the print version, the online newspaper was rated 45% of the respondents as providing more expanse of information, while only 30% voted in favor of the print version on this criterion; 20% rated both versions on this count. The smaller size of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily may be the reason that the print newspaper was rated by considerably more respondents as providing greater scope of information. Chart 3 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 37 Regarding finding information in the paper, the position is more positive for The Star Online: 50% of users stated that they could find their way around just as well as in The Star Daily, while 20% were able to find their way around the online version better. With regard to entertainment value, 40% of users found The Star Online just as good as print version, 35% of users rated print version better and 27% favored online version. What about reader loyalty? About 65% would have chosen The Star Daily and just fewer than 30% would have preferred The Star Online, if only one of the versions had been available. The decision in favor of the print version was based on its portability, while the advantages of the online version were seen as being its accessibility from outside the normal circulation area and the avoidance of unwanted paper. The main advantage, however, in the eyes of the respondents was that online newspapers are normally provided free of charge. It is therefore not surprising that only 35% of users would be prepared to accept a charge. Out of these, 80% stated that they would only be willing to pay for online newspapers if they were cheaper than print newspapers. Only 1% of those users willing to accept a charge could imagine paying more for online newspapers. Apparently, then, users are not willing to pay for the advantages of online newspapers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 38 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION The case study of Star Publications shows that online newspaper users base their activities and/or expectations on the print newspaper and use or design their product accordingly. The online user knows what to expect of a site as the online version retains the name of the printed version, use a similar layout, and similar contents. Moreover, the positive image of a paper can be transferred to the internet. On the other hand, too strong orientation toward the printed original could mean that the possibilities offered by internet technology are not fully exploited—that copy is simply lifted from the printed version. Given such trends toward the future consumption of newspapers, it is clear that online newspapers are steadily taking over the readership of print newspapers. This has the potential of influencing the choices of advertisement media, which entrepreneurs will be making regarding print newspapers or online newspapers. The concern for newspaper publishers would be about the timeframe for which their print newspaper audience would be big enough to justify such huge investment toward publication and distribution of print newspapers. Similar concern would be to entrepreneurs and businesses which still rely heavily on print newspaper for their advertisements. Are they likely to continue using print newspapers for their advertisements or the trend would most likely shift toward online newspapers? The introduction of charges for use seems scarcely possible—at least not as long as the same or similar information is available on the Internet free of charge. The doubts of the advertising industry may evaporate as the Internet becomes increasingly widespread and commonly used (Mutter, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 39 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Major Conclusions It would be quite wrong and misleading to rule out the future of print newspapers as advertising media just because of the increased use of online advertising. The reality is that paid circulation newspapers like The Star and Sunday Star still remain very popular advertising media for both local and international businesses. Print newspapers are the most aged forms of mass media, and will thus continue to be dominant in this field, recording big volumes of advertising revenue. Multinationals and local convenience store will continue to depend on print newspapers for their advertisements. Print newspapers are found in each and every community worldwide and readers are very fond of them (Brassil, 2010). Both online and newsprint advertisement have their characteristics which show strong and weak points. This explains why despite the perceived decline in readership of print newspapers, a scan through a print newspaper will reveal a number of businesses that continue to place their advertisements on daily basis. The continued presence of advertisements on newsprint clearly indicates that it still works as a very effective advertisement medium. Although printed newspaper no longer enjoys exclusive monopoly as the predominant source of news, it is clear that they still remain a strong factor in their specific sphere of influence, and online advertisement is not about to edge it out (Brassil, 2010) Recommendations 1. Entrepreneurs should highly consider using both print and online newspapers for their advertisements since both have reasonable number of loyal readers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 2. When placing advertisements on online newspapers, designers should avoid putting a lot of emphasis on feedbacks since readers rarely give them attention. 3. Advertisements on both versions of newspapers should be critically placed on segments that are frequented by readers so as to attract their attention with ease. 4. Links placed on online newspapers should be more easy to use so that readers can easily navigate through the paper. 5. Most advertisements that target younger persons should be preferably placed on online newspapers while those targeting older people should be placed on print versions.